drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord." Then Eli answered, and said: "Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him." Filled with cheerful courage, she returned home, ate and drank again, and was no longer sad. God had hearkened to her prayer: she had soon a son, whom she called Samuel.

When she had weaned her son, she took him to Eli, and said: "My lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.-For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath granted me my petition which I asked of Him: therefore also will I perform my vow, and consecrate this child unto the service of God all the days of his life.' Eli took the boy, and trained him unto God-fearing piety and virtue.

$ 46. THE SONS OF ELL

Eli had two sons, named Hophni and Phineas, who were very wicked and mischievous lads. They feared neither God nor men, disturbed the Israelites in their pious devotions, stole the flesh of the sacrifices from the pots, and committed many other abominable excesses. Now it was the duty of Eli to punish his sons as severely as possible, for their great misdeeds, but he did not perform this duty; he reproached them, it is true, for their evil conduct, and admonished them to improve; but they did not mind the exhortations of their father, who, moreover, was already too old, too feeble and lenient, to inflict more severe punishment upon them. But young Samuel was obedient to his teacher, grew very pious and good, and was in favor with God, and also with men.

God having appointed Samuel for His prophet, revealed to him His intention severely to punish Eli and his sons, for the iniquities of his house, the iniquities of his sons. This revelation was soon fulfilled. A war having broken out between the Israelites and the Philistines, Eli's sons marched to the camp with the Ark of the Covenant, that it might be borne before the Israelitish warriors, and thus, as it was the symbol of the presence of God, inspire them with courage. With impatient anxiety did Eli wait

for some intelligence concerning the fate of his people. At last a messenger arrived and said to him: "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also are dead, and the Ark of God is in the hands of the enemy." When the aged Eli, who was ninety-eight years old, heard this sad intelligence, he was struck with such fright that he fell from his chair, broke his neck and died, after having judged over Israel forty years.

§ 47. THE MERITORIOUS ACTS OF SAMUEL.

The Philistines placed the Ark of the Lord in the temple of their idol god Dagon, For this profanation God sent a heavy plague upon them, so that their princes determined to return the Ark of the Covenant to the Israelites. Yet, the Israelites still remained in the power of their enemy, Wherefore Samuel resolved to become their deliverer. He assembled the people at Mizpeh, and told them what they ought to do, and what alone could be of avail to them. "If you," thus he spoke to them, "do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, serve Him alone faithfully and sincerely, He will again deliver you out of the hand of your enemy." The people loudly confessed their sins, and fasted the whole day with profound repentance. While their trespass-offerings were yet burning upon the altar, the Philistines appeared to fight against them. Samuel prayed to God for his people, and a terrible thunder-storm broke upon the Philistines, which caused such confusion amongst them, that they took to flight. Thus the sincere repentance of the Israelites had proved a greater help to them than their outward worship of the Ark of the Covenant. In memoey of this victory, Samuel took a stone, set it up between Mizpeh and Shen as a grateful memorial, and called it Eben-ezer, saying: "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."

Every one now acknowledged that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet. Under his rule, the affairs of the people improved. He admonished his brethren to remove the strange gods and serve the Lord alone; he employed, in

all possible manner, the time of peace for the revival of religious feelings. He travelled about the country to administer justice, and established Schools of Prophets, in which pious youths were instructed in Religion. To the very day of his death he lived and labored for the welfare of his people.

§ 48. GOD TRIES AND GUIDES THE PIOUS.

Ruth.]

[The Book of

In the days of the Judges, there lived a pious woman named Ruth. She was a Moabite, and married to a son of Elimelech, who had removed, during a famine in Canaan, with his wife Naomi and his two sons, into the land of Moab. Soon Elimelech and his two sons died; whereupon, the poor, afflicted wife and mother resolved to return to her native country Canaan, where she could still find some relatives and friends, and recover her lands. Her two daughters-in-law accompanied her a great distance. But the hour of separation at last arrived. The three widows held each other firmly embraced; the memory of their beloved departed ones filled their hearts with grief and sadness; tears gushed forth from their pious eyes; the words died upon their lips. At last the kind mother addressed the following words to her daughters: "Return, I pray you, my daughters; the Lord deal kindly with you as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me." Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voices, and wept, and they said unto her: "No, no! we will go with thee unto thy people." Now, Naomi entreated them still more urgently, saying: "Nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes. Return to your homes!" Orpah now kissed her mother-in-law, and returned; but Ruth clave unto her, and she said: "I cannot leave thee: whithersoever thou goest, I will go; wherever thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, thy God shall be my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried." Naomi embraced once more her faithful daughter-in-law, and took her with her to Bethlehem.

And when they arrived there, all the city was moved about them, and they said: "Is this Naomi ?" And she

said unto them: "Call me not Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." But Ruth, still possessed of youthful strength, willingly worked for her mother-in-law; she went out into the fields to glean ears of corn, and thus maintained herself and Naomi. Kind Providence so ordained it that Ruth should glean in the fields of the wealthy Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi. Observing her industry, he asked his reapers, saying: "Who is yonder damsel that gleans so industriously?" They answered: "It is Ruth, the daughter-inlaw of Naomi: she has been bere ever since early in the morning, gleaning continually, without even looking around." Then Boaz went to her, and said: "Listen, my daughter. Go not to glean in auother field, but abide here fast by my maidens. I have charged the young men that they shall not trouble thee, and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels and drink from them." Then she fell on her face, and said: "Why have I found such grace in thine eyes, although I am a stranger?" Boaz answered, saying: "It hath fully been shown unto me all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law. May the Lord reward thee for thy noble deeds!" Thereupon Boaz commanded his young men purposely to let fall some of the ears for her, that her gleanings might be more abundant. Ruth gleaned until evening, beat the corn out, and brought it home to her mother-in-law, besides some portions of her meals which she had reserved for her. When Naomi heard that it was Boaz that had bestowed so much kindness upon her she told Ruth that he was her relative. And Boaz, who became more and more pleased with the industry and correct deportment of Ruth, married her, and was very happy in his wedlock. They had soon a son, whom they called Obed. And Naomi enjoyed again a happy life at the house of her daughter-in-law, for which she proved herself grateful. The well-being of Ruth was to her like her own, and she took her child into her lap and became his nurse. This Obed was the grand-father of David.

B. The Kings over the Undivided Empire of Israel.

§ 49. SAUL RAISED TO THE ROYAL THRONE. [1 Samuel viii.-xiv.] 2916 A.M.

When Samuel had grown old and felt himself too weak to continue Judge over Israel, he resolved to transfer his office to his sons. But as these were wicked and avaricious men, open to bribery, the people demanded of Samuel, that he should appoint a king over them, that they might be ruled as the neighboring nations. This demand. caused the displeasure of Samuel. But God said to him: "Hearken unto the voice of the people, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should no longer reign over them. Now, therefore, hearken unto their voice, yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the great evil which the rule of a wicked king will produce." In accordance with these words, Samuel addressed the people, saying:

"This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

"And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground. and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

"And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

"And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

"And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.